So the original phrase was “Let them eat cake.” The first thing I need to do is correct the phrase. It was actually "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" which in French translates to “Let them eat Brioche.” Not sure how the cake thing got into it, and it was actually around long before it was attributed to Marie Antoinette. Brioche was actually high-end bread which was well above what most of the populous at the time could afford. It did pertain to the people starving and the “Queen” uttering those famous words of indifference to the plight of the people.

“Enough history and just explain to us how this equates to Let them drink Pinot” is what I hear you yelling.

I got nutin! I was just getting ready to do a review on a Pinot Noir and for some reason that phrase popped into my head. Not wanting to ignore my head, I went with it. Lame I know. I could probably sit here for hours and try and analyze the situation, but best not. Too much analyzing and I might have to check myself in somewhere.

On to the wine.

Who knows where I get some of the wines I have. Some I buy, some are given, and some are earned (through my Wine Ambassadorship). I think it was the latter that I acquired this week’s “Wine of the Week.”

Lafond Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2015

While not a big drinker of Pinot Noir, sometimes it “hits the spot.” As I was contemplating a particular dinner, I started to wonder what might be a good wine to go with the food I was about to prepare. Wish I could say that I had this wonderful delicacy all planned, but it turned out to be short ribs with special gravy made from drippings and roasted butternut squash. In this case, the short ribs actually were very mild and the gravy very lean, so a slightly lighter wine worked well.

With its first commercial wines released in 2002, this winery has been producing Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and a few other varietals in the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County. A relatively small producer, they, none the less, produce some outstanding wines. Such as this week’s “Wine of the Week”

Beginning with a slightly denser wine, and coupled with nice oak treatment, the wine shows a darker hue with an earthier expression of fruit along with modest tannins and slight minerality lending itself to be a formidable food wine. It did just that in my situation with the short ribs. I can see why Wine Enthusiast gave it 93 Points and an “Editor’s Choice” rating. One word of caution. This wine needs to breathe. Upon opening, I found it to be a little harsh and lacking fruit. An hour or so in, it started to open up and reveal its true self. Not something that one might think of having to do with a Pinot, but worth the wait. Click here for a tech sheet.

With 2,300 cases produced, you should be able to find the wine around somewhere and most likely at $25 a bottle, give or take. If you’re a Burgundy lover, this wine should fit right in. Give it a try.